Protecting wheels and axles of cars by incasing them



v2 Sheets-Sheet1 A. L. FINCH.

Car-Track Clearer.

No. 8,886. r Patented Apr. 20. 1852.

AM. PUOi'Q-LITHO. CU- N.Y. (OSBURFES FRCCESS.)

- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. L. FINCH.

Car-Track Clearer.

Patented Apr 20. 1852.

AM. PHDTO-LITHO, CU- N.Y. (OSRORNC'S PROCESS.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. L. FINCI-I, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

PROTECTING WHEELS AND .AXLES OF CARS BY INCASING THEM.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 8,886, dated Apri1'20, 1852.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. L. FrNoH, of New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Means of Preventing Accidents from the Breaking of Axles and Wheels of Rail-Cars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which i Figure 1 is a plan of a railroad truck,

having my invention applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of the metallic axle tube and the casings in which the wheels are placed. This view is intended to show the manner in which the axle and wheels are incased and secured in the metallic cylindrical casing: this section is taken in the line 00, w, in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical sec tion through one of the metallic cylindrical casings in which the car wheels are placed and secured this section being taken near the outer end of the metallic casing, in the line in Figs. 1 and 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures.

The nature of my invention consists in the employment of metallic cylindrical tubes and casings in which the axles and wheels of railroad cars areincased and secured, and also allowed toturn freely.

The object eifectedby this invention, is the prevention of the very serious conse quences which ensue from the accidents so often occurring on rail roads occasioned by the breaking of the wheels and axles of rail cars. To enable others skilled in the artto make and-use my invent-ion I will now proceed todescribe its construction and application.

A, A, A, A, represents the frame .of the truck, which braces and supports the different parts composing the truck.

B, B, B, B, are the wheels which are secured fast on, and turn with the axles C, C, C, C; each of these wheels may have a separate axle, (as represented in the drawing Fig. 3), or there may be only one axle to each pair of wheels.

D, D, are stationary metallic cylindrical tubes, in which the axles C, of the wheels B,

turn freely, and which support the car and also prevent it from falling to the ground,

or being thrown off the track, should the axles break while the car is in motion. On each of the ends, of these metallic cylindrical tubes, plates E, E, .E, E, having openings, in them, of precisely the same diameter as the bore of the tubes and directly in a line with the bore, are cast or otherwise attached. These plates are of a cylindrical shape for nearly the whole of their diameter. At the bottom, or at the part, lettered a, of the metallic plates 11, they are made straight or parallel with the rail, (as represented in the drawing Figs. 2, 3, and 4). From the face of each of these plates a ring, or flange 0, extends or projects; within these rings or flanges metallic casings E, E, E, E; which may be on their inside of precisely similar shape as the periphery or' edge of a car wheel, are placed and fitted, and then screwed, riveted or otherwise fastened to the metallic plate E, which forms part of the casing for the wheels. In these metallic casings, boxes, for the bearings of the axles C, C, to fit and turn in, are cut, as represented in the drawing Fig. 3. There are also boxes secured in the metallic tubes, in which the axles turn, for the bearings of said axles to fit and turn in; these bearings are, however, only necessary when each wheel has a separate axle, as represented in Fig. 3. j

It will be seen that the part of the casing lettered a, Figs. 2, 3, and 4, is not so deep as the car wheel and that there is an opening b, out in the bottom of each of the casings in which the wheels are secured, and in which they revolve: through these openings 6, one portion of each of the car wheels B, extends and bears on the rails- The objects of these openings being simply that of allowing the wheels to rest on the rails.

By referring to Fig. 3 the manner in which the axles and wheels are,secured in the casings D, E, and F, and the manner in which the casings are put together will be clearly seen. I

The way in which this invention effects the before mentioned objects, or prevents the serious consequences of loss of life, &c. destruction of property &c. occasioned bythe breaking of a car wheel or axle, I will now explain. Should the axle of a. car wheel break, while the train ismoving at a very rapid rate, (which is a very common occurrence) it will be readily seen that it is impossible for the broken axles, incasecl as I incase them, to fall or in any way separate from the metallic tubes, for as soon as the axles break, they rest or bear on the inner surface of the metallic tubes; by this means the car is supported and prevented from falling; thereby avoiding much loss of life and destruction of property; whereas if the common axle was used there would be nothing to support it after it had been broken and the car must, consequently, fall to the ground or be thrown off the track and perhaps a number of lives be lost. And also by .the use of my improved casings for the wheels nearly all the accidents which daily occur through the breaking of wheels and axles, are avoided; for if one, two,'three or even four wheels should break, it would be impossible, almost, for the car to fall or be thrown off the track on account of the manner in which the wheels are secured in the casings, and it is also hardly possible for the pieces of the broken wheels to separate a from each other, therefore it will be seen that there is a constant bearing of the wheel on the rail, even when broken; but, if the wheels should break in such a way as to allow of the pieces separating, then the easings of the wheels will assume theposition shown in red lines in Fig. 2, and by the weight of the cars be made to bear on the rails and thereby support, and prevent the cars being thrown off the track; whereas if the common car wheels, without any casings were used and one of them should break the cars would fall and most likely be thrown off the track and considerable loss of life ensue.

Having thus fully described the nature and application of my invention, I will now proceed to state what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent.

I claim a In casing the axles and wheels of. rail cars within a metallic casing D, E, F, substantially as and for the purposes herein speci- 1 fied.

A. L. FINOH. Witnesses? MAROELLUS CLARK, EBENEZER WVHITNEY. 

